Just A Taste
by Gothic984
Summary: As the New Year begins and things are starting to settle down in the Buck household, Caleb is drawn more to his inner darkness.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Holly Jolly Christmas.

It was a cold wet evening in Trinity South Carolina, darkness stretched across the quiet streets and a strong wind blew violently, rattling gates and loose panels alike. Caleb Temple was unfazed by the harsh weather conditions as he stood exposed in the open, he had gone through enough in his life to know that a little rain and wind could not hurt him and it did not deter him from his current activity.

Caleb stood patiently holding his bicycle under a dim street light, watching his Teachers bungalow intently. His home life had quietened down after all the drama with his baby Sister Gail and that meant his mind was free to focus on other more entertaining things. Caleb was not a bad boy, at least he did not see himself that way; however, the darkness within him had stirring recently and right now it was awake.

It was curious really, Caleb had become fully aware of the dark presence within him after his Step Mom Gail had awoken from the coma he had contributed to. He had come to think of the presence as his dark companion and a lot of the time it had been focused on his Step Mom, causing some resentment to stir within him. Caleb could never stay mad at Gail for long, not after all that she did for him and he had managed to keep his dark companion quiet for quite some; however, the birth of his baby Sister had poked the beast and his companion had awoken fully after the humiliation he had experienced at the hand of his Teacher.

Caleb had been warned against messing with his Teacher, his Step Mom had made it very clear that there would be harsh consequences should he do anything to antagonise Selena, after the stunt he pulled towards her car and his Father had agreed that should he be caught making a move against her, he would have no choice but to step in; therefore, Caleb had decided to heed his Father's warning and to not get caught.

As the heavy rain fell and soaked him through, Caleb stared at the dark window which gave way to the Kitchen. He sensed his Teacher was watching him warily, wondering what the purpose of his presence was and the nervousness he sensed from her made him smile.

'What are you doin' out here in this weather Champ? You're gonna catch somethin' all wet like that' Billy asked concerned, as he pulled up beside Caleb when he spotted the boy and wound his window down to address him.

Caleb hid his irritation at the unexpected interruption and forced an innocent smile for his Father's friend. 'I'm on my way home and just needed to stop for a rest' he lied in a sweet tone, so not to cause any suspicion.

'Your Step Mom's gonna go spare when she see's the state of you. Do you want a ride?' Billy asked helpfully, not wanting Caleb to be out in this weather any longer than he had to be.

'Nah, I'm good. The ridin' keeps me warm' he smiled and nodded his appreciation at the offer, then jumped on his bicycle and started riding home.

Billy watched Caleb speed down the street, then pulled into Selena's driveway and entered her bungalow through the back door in the Kitchen. He let out a small gasp when he spotted her standing silently in the dark staring out of the window discreetly. 'Jesus Selena, you nearly scared me half to death' he laughed, as he approached her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

'What did that little devil want?' Selena asked suspiciously, ignoring his affectionate gesture and continued staring out of the window, expecting Caleb to reappear.

Billy glanced out of the window, then turned back towards Selena and stroked her back gently. 'He was just takin' a breather on his way home, why?' he asked confused, sensing the tension radiating off of his girlfriend.

Selena continued to stare out of the window for a few minutes, then shrugged off Billy's hand and started pacing the Kitchen agitated. 'He was here for me, I know it' she said bitterly, feeling her heart racing.

Billy let out a long sigh and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. 'You need to get over this paranoia Selena, he's just a young boy and was tired after ridin' in the rain' he tried to reassure her.

'He's not a boy, he's just like his Father' Selena hissed, refusing to accept Billy's explanation of Caleb's presence.

'His Father who you had no problem with for years' Billy retorted, growing impatient with Selena's ramblings of late.

Selena stopped pacing and turned towards her boyfriend, hating that he was friends with Lucas. At one time he was immune to Lucas' charm, making him irresistible to her; however, now he had conformed like everybody else in this Town and was just a pawn in whatever game Lucas wanted to play. 'For someone who has a degree, you're not very smart are you?' she asked sarcastically, becoming irritated with his presence.

Billy let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'I'm smart enough not to bully a troubled boy in front of his entire class, then bitch about it when he lashes out' he advised, not having the patience for her theatrics after a long day at work.

'Oh so you do believe he did something? See, I was right!' she laughed bitterly, happy to finally hear some acknowledgement to Caleb's behaviour.

'You're truly damaged Selena' Billy stated in disbelief at how self absorbed she was, then chose to leave her to her craziness and exited to the house.

Selena watched irritated as he got into his car and drove off the way he came, then let out a sharp gasp when she spotted Caleb appear underneath the same street light he had been standing at previously and backed away cautiously from the window when she saw his smug grin.

Caleb smiled at his choice to return to his observation point, sensing Billy had left his Teacher alone again. He could smell her fear and his dark companion began to stir restlessly; however, he would not give any reason for Selena to get him into trouble, at least not yet and just watched patiently.

* * *

Lucas strolled through his home rocking his baby girl gently, as she lay peacefully on his bare chest. His wife had been so preoccupied with making Christmas perfect for their boy's that he had been able to spend a lot of quality time with his Daughter, allowing him to bond with her fully. Gail had done well for their boys considering everything that had gone on recently; therefore, Lucas was happy to return the favour and step up to take care of their Daughter while his wife was preoccupied now.

As Lucas strolled through the long quiet corridors of their home, his Daughter Gail began to stir and he shifted her gently so she could survey their surroundings. He had come to the conclusion that naming his Daughter after her Mother may not have been his finest idea, due to the confusion it caused not only for his Son's but for the girls in his life; however, he would not allow his wife the satisfaction of knowing his thoughts on the subject. Lucas Buck was never wrong and if his wife caught a hint of doubt in him, she would never let him live it down.

Lucas entered the large Foyer and held his Daughter tighter to his warm chest, spotting the front door was wide open. He let out a long sigh, sensing what he had not yet laid eyes on and wandered to the open door to find his wife pacing at the bottom of the steps, anxiously staring into the street. 'Come inside, you'll catch your death of cold' he ordered from inside the door calmly, not happy to see Gail was soaked through from the rain.

Gail continued to pace at the bottom of the steps, staring down the dark street concerned. 'He shouldn't be out in this Lucas, something's wrong' she shivered and crossed her arms tight over her chest in an attempt to obtain some warmth. She had been experiencing strange thoughts all evening and they always came back to Caleb, causing her unease.

Lucas had sensed the change in his eldest Son recently and he would be lying if he said that it did not make him proud; however, he did not want the boys acceptance of who he truly was to come at the expense of his wife's health or sanity, and seeing her shivering in the rain while she waited for him was causing him to become agitated.

'Don't' Gail ordered knowingly, when she sensed her husband was about to step out into the rain to retrieve her. There was no point in them all being wet over her decision to wait out in the rain for her Step Son.

Lucas was about to insert his dominance, not liking being told what to do regardless of who it was giving the instruction; however, he stopped when his little girl let out a small shiver in his arms and shook his head in exasperation. 'Get inside Gail' he ordered sternly, wrapping his Daughters blanket tighter around her and holding her closer to his warm skin.

'Gail is inside' Gail mocked sarcastically, smiling and disregarding his clear irritation at her not doing what he wanted.

Lucas inhaled deeply feeling his patience being tested, then let out a small laugh and closed the front door abruptly, preventing any further cold from bothering his Daughter. If his wife wanted to be stubborn and wait out in the rain, that was her decision and he knew that there was no talking sense into her.

Gail closed her eyes when she heard the door slam and laughed at Lucas' ability to rile her up without even really trying. She supposed Lucas was where Caleb got his disregard of anything sensible from, although she was the irresponsible one standing out in the rain right now and not her husband.

She was worried about Caleb, she had been ever since she found out that she was pregnant again. Gail had been relieved that her worry about him not taking to her Daughter had been unfounded and she did trust him with her, but she sensed something strange stirring within him more often lately. He was growing up and that would naturally make him discover more about himself; however, she was not ready to allow him to give in to his Buck nature just yet.

'You think you can stop him? He's part of us' the dark figure asked curiously, coming out from the shadow of the large wall to the left of the property.

Gail let out an exasperated breath when she heard the familiar voice and shook her head in irritation, she had felt eyes on her for a while and had hoped it was just her imagination. 'He's part of me too you know? And I don't lay down easily without a fight' she advised moodily and continued to watch the street for any sigh on her Step Son.

The dark figure let out an eerie laugh, then smiled when Gail gave off an involuntary shudder. 'It's true that you took a bit of convincin', but you saw sense in the end'

'With my head over a barrel' Gail interjected and glanced over her shoulder at the dark figure, who now suddenly resembled a man. His change in appearance intrigued her and she found it hard to take her eyes off of him; however, she did not want to get drawn in to this right now.

The dark figure sensed her curiosity spike when she realised it was not hiding it's true form and waited for her questions, when she regained control of herself and just turned her attention back to the street it let out a quiet sigh and moved closer to her. 'Stop fightin' everythin' Gail, your life will be much easier if you do' it whispered earnestly in her ear.

Gail felt the figure close to her and stood tall, not allowing herself to feel intimidated. It was as though it was trying to engage her in conversation and that only made her more curious with the strange figure that appeared to be stalking her. 'My life has never been easy, you really think this is any worse than what I've been through before?' she asked sarcastically, then inhaled deeply when the figure let out a venomous laugh.

'The brave little Emory girl who warded off all those predators in foster care throughout the years, without even realising how. Those dirty men who mistakenly thought they could taste you, who came out of the exchanges with certain parts missing and no memory of what happened...You think that was hardest thing that could come your way? You chose to marry into this family Gail, you're more naive than I thought if you believe the worst has already passed' the dark figure smirked, amused.

Gail's eyes opened wide for a moment at the strangers knowledge of her past and turned around to confront him. 'How did you know?' she asked, knowing she had not even shared those details to her husband; however, the stranger just smiled devilishly and abruptly disappeared.

'Gail? Who are you talkin' to?' Caleb asked confused, as he stood concerned outside the gate watching his Step Mom curiously.

'Who am I ever talking to?' she laughed in exasperation, then opened the gate for Caleb and helped him carry his bicycle to the front door. 'Where have you been?' she asked concerned, wiping the rain off his cold face lovingly in an attempt to dry him off.

Caleb thought about making up a story to account for his lateness, then decided against it. 'I was just ridin', I was enjoyin' the time alone' he shrugged honestly, choosing the leave out the finer details.

Gail sensed he was not giving her the whole truth and narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, disregarding the torrential rain that had soaked her through and was running down her body; however, she chose not to question him further and ushered him up the steps, accepting that he may require some quiet away from their recently busy household.

Caleb had expected to be interrogated by his Step Mon, when that did not happen and she just continued to help him carry his bicycle up the steps, he realised how soaked she was and knew it was down to him. 'You shouldn't be out here Gail, you were in hospital a month ago' he advised quietly, trying to push down his guilt.

'We both shouldn't be out here Caleb, but it appears that neither of us listen to reason' she smiled tiredly and pushed him gently into their home when the door opened by itself.

Caleb was hit by the warmth in the air of their old Mansion, it made him realise how cold that he actually was and he rushed to the main Study where the fireplace was always lit. Just as he was about to leave the Foyer, he notice Gail was still stood at the open door and she was peering out into the dark garden. 'You comin'?' he asked confused.

Gail stared at the dark figure who had appeared once again when Caleb's attention was diverted and watched it warily. She supposed she should be scared, or at least reluctant to be alone around it's presence; however, she was more intrigued as to why it insisted on communicating with her and she no longer sensed a danger radiating off of her new acquaintance, at least for the time being.

'She's comin'' Lucas stated sternly, as he appeared beside Caleb holding his Daughter and watched Gail curiously, sensing her attention had shifted from their family.

Gail felt Lucas clawing at her brain in an attempt to discover what had her attention so she closed the front door quickly, leaving the dark figure outside and returning her focus to her family. 'Of course I'm coming Soulmate' she smiled reassuringly, then rejoined her family and wrapped her arms lovingly around Caleb as she led him to their warm Study.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Billy Peele stood in front of the large window in his office and peered out into the Juniper House open garden, watching his newest member of staff carefully. He had once extended the offer for Rita to join his staff in the past; however, he had not been totally serious and he had known at that time that she would turn the invitation down. Now that Lucas had approached him and suggested he provide her with a fairly high ranking position amongst his staff, Billy could not hold in his doubts at adhering to Lucas' suggestion and he wondered how a Nurse could expect to be able to take on the role of a Doctor.

Billy was using the word suggestion loosely, he knew that he had no choice when Lucas had come to him and that in itself caused him concern. He had never suspected Lucas and Rita to be friends, the woman usually clung to Gail whenever she had the opportunity; therefore, Lucas' sudden interest in her was curious and he wondered what Ben made of it all.

'My Deputy is very happy with his wife Doctor, I suggest you take a leap out of his book and focus on your own business' Lucas warned in a pleasant tone from behind him, so not to cause Billy's guard to come up.

Billy was not stupid and caught the warning in Lucas' tone instantly despite him remaining pleasant. He did not appreciate taking orders from someone he had taken to calling a friend; however, Rita was not his responsibility and he had enough to deal with due to his girlfriends recent moods to take on other peoples problems. 'I don't give a damn about anyone's business Sheriff, but when an unqualified individual is tendin' to the patients of this facility, I have a right to wonder why' he said flatly, then turned towards Lucas and shook his head when he saw how casual he looked leaning against the closed door to his office.

'That specific unqualified individual is more than capable of takin' care of the lunatics Doctor, what do you care who does the job as long as it gets done?' Lucas asked nonchalantly, unfazed by Billy's apparent concern.

'I care when this is a licensed facility that I'm in charge of Lucas, I should never have let you convince me to allow her to work here without the appropriate qualifications' Billy sighed and sat behind his desk.

Lucas smirked, amused at his friends sudden show of a conscience. 'You didn't care about qualifications when I got you this job. An Epidemiologist as the head of a psychiatric facility, surely there could have been someone a bit more qualified for this specialised role' he said sarcastically.

'I'm more than qualified to beat any of your small Town Doctors. Besides, you didn't get me this job, it's what Gail wanted' Billy responded defensively.

'Your presence in my Town doesn't faze my wife, she wouldn't give a damn if you hitched a ride on the next plan to Uganda to chase somethin' or other...Your position here is because of me and you should be thankful that I put up with you. Let's be honest, this whole acquaintance that we have goin' on could have gone down a completely different path-'

'A fatal one?' Billy interrupted judgmentally, unimpressed by Lucas' comments.

Lucas laughed and shook his head in disbelief at the man's ignorance to his own faults. 'The point is, I took a gamble on you and it paid off. You took a chance in stayin' in Trinity and it's workin' out just fine, so why are you now suddenly against trustin' my judgement in people friend?' he asked slowly, as though speaking to a child.

Billy inhaled deeply, then let out a long sigh. 'It's not that I don't trust your judgement friend, I just don't see the benefit of a Nurse playing Doctor with these complex types of patients'

'Just like there's no benefit in a plague chaser being head of a facility for these complex types of patients?' Lucas asked casually, as he walked towards his friend and sat down on the chair in front of his desk.

Billy stared at Lucas irritated for a moment, then let out a small laugh resigning to being unable to beat him. 'I see your point, let's just drop it...Did Caleb get home alright last night?' he asked, wanting desperately to change the subject.

''Course he did, why wouldn't he?' Lucas asked suspiciously.

'It's nothin' I'm sure, but he was hangin' around close to Selena's late in the evening. She got herself in a state accusin' him of stalkin' her' Billy answered calmly, as he sifted through a patients file that Rita had completed.

Lucas thought for a moment, knowing Gail would not react well to Caleb goading Selena, then chose not to draw attention to his own concern. 'She's an attractive woman, he probably caught sight of her in the window as he was passin' and stopped for a look like we've all done before. What did you tell her?' he asked curiously.

'That he's a boy and was just out ridin' past his curfew to push some boundary or another, it's what we all did at that age' Billy smirked, remembering how out of control he had been when he was younger and closed the file in front of him, before turning his full attention to Lucas. 'He isn't followin' her is he?' he asked seriously and watched Lucas' reaction to the question carefully.

'Of course not. Like you said, he's a young boy just seein' how far he can ride before his Momma reigns him in. He had Gail out in that rain for close to an hour after his curfew watching the street for his return, the boys gettin' courageous' Lucas sighed, remaining casual and unfazed by the situation.

Billy laughed and shook his head, knowing Gail would not have appreciated his lateness. 'I bet she tore him a new one when he got in'

Lucas let out an amused laugh and shrugged. 'She more tore me a new one for lettin' him have so much freedom at a young age, but we worked out her frustrations later on when the kids had gone to sleep' he smirked mischievously.

Billy rolled his eyes at the comment, then stood up and stretched. 'I don't know how you keep her so sweet on you man, she's the smartest woman I know and should've well kicked you to the curb by now' he laughed.

Lucas smiled devilishly and stood up to meet his friend. 'Clearly I got the juice they all want Doc' he joked, then headed to the window and watched Rita in the garden curiously.

* * *

Caleb sat with his back straight in his chair and watched his Teacher closely. She usually scolded him for not paying attention when she taught; however, today she shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze and the darkness within him was savouring her discomfort.

'-And that's how you work out these fractions kids, you just need to ensure you take the time to show your workings out in the test and I'm sure you'll all do fine' Selena said as she pointed to the blackboard, attempting to look in any direction but at Caleb who had been staring at her in a strange way for close to an hour now. She was happy when her children took her teaching seriously; however, she knew that his attention was nothing to do with her teaching and he was starting to unnerve her. 'Let's go to your textbook and turn to page 45' she ordered, taking the opportunity to force the kids to put their attention elsewhere.

Caleb opened his textbook on the correct page without moving his eyes off Miss Coombs and continued staring at her. He felt something deep within him clawing to be released and goading him to take some kind of action against her; however, he remained to model student and just continued to focus all of his attention on her, knowing that she had nothing to report him on if he just sat here looking at her.

Selena felt her heart rate quicken, he was still looking at her with those dark eyes and she sensed the malice within him. They were in a crowded classroom so she was safe; however, she began to wonder what was going to happen when school finished and she was alone in here, having to prep for tomorrows lessons.

Caleb smiled devilishly when he sensed her thoughts and let out a small laugh, he saw Miss Coombs tense at the sound and her reaction made his smile grow wider.

'You're gonna get in trouble if you don't read' Boone whispered from beside him, after he heard his best friends chuckle and noticed him staring at their Teacher.

Caleb continued to stare at Selena for a few more moments, then nodded his understanding at Boone and chose to look at his textbook. This all worked out better if his Teacher had nothing on him, so he obediently read a few pages of the textbook before turning his full attention back to Miss Coombs and smiling at her discomfort.

* * *

Matt smiled warmly at the children who had commandeered his office, watching them play with each other pleasantly. Izzy and Luke were hiding behind his desk, presumably playing hide and seek, while his best friend fed her Daughter Gail on the couch under the window of his office and stroked Lucy's small ponytail, who was sat obediently at her feet.

'So tell me again how you ended up with all of the rug rats?' Matt asked amused and laughed at the look of irritation on Gail's face.

'Well, my husband got Izzy's Mom a job with Lucy's current guardian so as I'm apparently the only one unfit to work at this time, I've been left with all of the children' Gail said frustrated, then laughed at her selfish bitterness when she saw Matt's amusement.

'Your life could be worse Gail, this isn't so bad' he advised, glancing affectionately at the children.

'Says you who gets to sit in this lovely secluded office all day until you decide that you want to see a patient. I can't get two minutes to myself recently and it's driving me insane!' she exclaimed sarcastically and stroked Matt's arm with her free hand when he came to sit beside her.

'The dramatics don't suit you bestie' he joked and pulled Lucy up onto his knee. 'How's our little Gail doing? I still can't believe you let him name her after you'

'Don't get me started on the name' Gail warned seriously, then sat her little girl up carefully on her knee and rubbed her back gently to wind her. 'She's fine...we're all fine I guess' she stated nonchalantly.

'You guess?' Matt asked concerned, sensing that there was something that she was hiding.

Gail thought for a moment, not wanting to burden Matt with her concerns and then let out a long sigh, knowing he would worry if she was not honest with him. 'We really are all fine' she reassured him, forcing a warm smile to put him at ease. 'It just Caleb's acting a little off, and Luke...' she started, then just shrugged mid sentence and continuing to rub her Daughters back softly.

Matt had suspected something was wrong with Caleb, as M had voiced her reservations about him recently and he intended on visiting the boy to try to get to the bottom of what the issue was; however, that was not what concerned him about Gail's statement. 'Luke?' Matt asked curiously, picturing the young pleasant boy playing behind his desk with Izzy and not understanding what could be wrong.

Matt believed that Luke was the total opposite of his Father, from his own experience with the boy. He was kind, helpful, pleasant and did not portray any desire for cruelty like his Father did; therefore, Gail's comment was confusing and he wondered what she had seen that he had not.

Gail sensed Matt's confusion and was about to address the comment, when the sudden silence in the room caught her attention and she glanced towards Matt's desk cautiously, where Izzy and Luke had been hiding since she had started feeding her Daughter. Her hands were full at the moment and she did not want to overreact with Matt watching her, so she forced a smile for her friend and continued seeing to her baby girl.

Luke watched Izzy as she sat obediently in front of him, covering her eyes and giggling playfully as she usually did. He liked Izzy, he spent a lot of time with her when his Mom was busy and her presence always made him happy. What he liked most about her was that she would follow him wherever he went, he had chosen to come to this quiet side of the room away from the adults and Izzy had followed without hesitation.

Luke had managed to open a drawer when the adults were busy talking, where had spotted a strange toy with cold hard bits at each end and connected to a long tube down the middle. As his Mom was preoccupied feeding his Sister, he had carefully took possession of the toy and wrapped it around Izzy's neck playfully, wondering what fun he could have. Izzy had placed her hands over eyes, initially thinking this was part of their hide and seek game; however, Luke had no intentions of hiding. He stared at her with curious eyes as she sat innocently waiting for instruction, a devilish smile came over his lips as his small hands reached for the ends of his toy ready to pull it tight, intrigued to see what would happen.

Gail came around the desk spotting the stethoscope wrapped loosely around Izzy's neck and quickly removed it, placing it on top of the desk away from the children's reach. She picked Izzy up in her arms and dragged Luke to a standing position, ignoring his frustrated cry, then led him around the desk to where Matt was sitting holding her Daughter Gail and let go of his hand.

Matt stared wide eye'd at the stethoscope Gail had put on his desk and looked at her confused. 'That was in my drawer, I swear' he explained defensively, not wanting her to think he had left something out that the children could hurt themselves on.

'This is what I'm contending with, a moody teenager and a small criminal genius' she forced a laugh to hide her worry, knowing better than to trust her Son when he went silent.

Luke watched angrily as his Mom placed Izzy carefully on the floor beside Lucy, then picked him up and forced him to sit on her knee. He felt a strong burning sensation inside of him at the thought of her spoiling his game; however, he instinctively reached his hand around her neck and snuggled into her chest, causing the strange sensation to diminish as his natural love for her shone through.

'I don't know, he looks pretty easy to tame from here' Matt laughed, watching Luke snuggle up to his Mother as he rocked baby Gail in his arms carefully and attempted not to think about his own deceased Daughter.

'For now' Gail said suspiciously, hugging her Son close to her chest and then reached for Matt's hand in support, sensing his thoughts turning to something no parent should have to live through.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Selena finished wiping off the blackboard at the head of her classroom and glanced around the empty class, ensuring everything had been packed away ready for tomorrow. Apart from Caleb's strange fascination with her, the day had actually gone to plan and she was happy that the children were starting to understand the lessons she was trying to teach them.

She had chosen to disregard Caleb's uncomfortable staring and the boy had just left with all of the other children when the end of School bell rang. Selena had initially thought that he was planning something and waiting for her to be alone in the classroom to strike; however, Caleb was nowhere to be found and she had been able to complete her after School preparations ready for a new day.

Selena picked up her bag, exited the classroom and sauntered confidently down the corridor towards the exit. Although the other Teachers did not trust her ability to teach, she was always the last one here making preparations for her class and her colleagues never showed as much commitment to their roles as she did. She supposed this could be her way of trying to prove to them that she was a serious Teacher, although it always fell on deaf ears. When the new year had come in, she swore to herself that she was going to try not to focus on what others thought of her and just learn to accept herself for who she was; however, here she was staying longer than anyone else to prove a point.

As Selena walked into the deserted parking lot, she glanced up at the dark evening sky and then noticed the light above her car was flickering. The parking lot was one of the recent areas to have a refurbishment and the lights around the area were a new addition, in order to provide more illumination in the winter months. It amused her that the School had clearly gone for the cheapest option and had not bothered to ensure that the job had been done properly, it summed up her faculty perfectly.

Selena disregarded the light, opened her yellow sports car and threw her bag onto the backseat casually. She unbuttoned her cream blouse to release some of her cleavage and pulled the clips out of her hair, allowing her hair to fall loosely over her shoulder before entering her vehicle. Selena took in a large breath and lay back in her seat comfortably, closing her eyes and allowing the days frustrations to be released. When she opened her eyes she spotted Caleb dead ahead of her, sat on his bicycle staring at her.

Caleb watched his Teacher curiously, sensing that the frustrations she was attempting to release were due to him. This caused a devious smile to cross his lips and he locked eyes with her, not allowing her to ignore his presence like she had done in class previously.

Selena took in a sharp intake of breath, it felt like his eyes were boring into her and her whole body tensed. Suddenly all the lights in the parking lot began to flicker in unison and dark clouds appeared overhead, Selena spotted the flashing; however, her eyes were locked on Caleb's and her body felt as though it was frozen.

A large crow landed on one of the flickering lights and stared down at the scene curiously. When it spotted Caleb, a few more crows appeared and they all began to caw.

Caleb disregarded the cawing and focused solely on his Teacher. He felt his darkness begin to stir within him and a small bolt of power surged through him. He wondered if this was how his Father felt, in total control and able to push his will onto anyone. The feeling caused his whole body to become warm and the sudden start of torrential rain did not faze him at all.

Selena could still see Caleb through the pounding rain that was hitting her windscreen, his eyes were fixated on hers and she felt her body begin to quiver. Suddenly a small black cat walked in front of her car, catching Caleb's attention momentarily and Selena was able to get back control of her body. Without hesitation she shoved the keys in the ignition and started up her car; however, when she looked out of the front windscreen again, Caleb was standing right in front of her car.

Caleb was momentarily distracted by the black cat, which had stared and purred at him until it finally got his attention; however, he was not going to allow his Teacher to get off so easily. As he thought about what he desired, he was suddenly in front of her car as though propelled by some unknown force. This strange motion did not scare him, he had witnessed his Father appear out of nowhere on more than one occasion and the look he caught on his Teachers face at his sudden appearance was priceless.

Selena allowed Caleb a quick surprised glance, then put her car into reverse and began to drive out of the parking lot. The lights began to flicker quicker now and she chanced a quick look in her rear view mirror to establish Caleb's whereabouts, she let out a relieved sigh when she saw him still stood in the rain by her parking space and his figure was getting smaller due to the distance that she was putting between them.

Suddenly Selena heard a quiet purr from behind her, she narrowed her eyes confused and glanced over her shoulder when she heard a meow from her backseat. Selena let out a small laugh when she could find nothing in her backseat and put it down to her paranoia due to Caleb, when she turned her attention back towards the road she saw the small black cat on her dashboard and was unable to get her hands up in time when it pounced at her face.

Caleb heard his Teachers shocked scream just before he saw her car swerve off the road violently and crash into a tree. His mouth dropped open in surprise, unsure of what had just happened; however, when he spotted the small black cat jump out of the broken windscreen and start walked casually towards him, he smiled devilishly.

* * *

Lucas knelt down in front of his favourite grandfather chair, which was situated by the large fireplace in his main Study and ran his lips up Gail's smooth bare legs seductively. He had not seen his wife all day and his youngest children had been put to bed early, providing him with the opportune moment to take advantage of her spare time.

'Caleb could come in at any moment' Gail warned quietly, unable to hide her true desire when he parted her legs slowly.

'That boy ain't been on time for his curfew in over a week, he ain't changin' that now Love' Lucas smiled knowingly, then nipped at the inside of her thighs before removing her lace thong and teasing her sweet spot with his tongue.

Gail did not approve of Lucas' casual attitude about Caleb's lack of respect for their rules; however, she had spent her whole day with children and was happy for some alone time with an adult she could truly be herself with.

'That's the spirit Darlin', put away your irritation at his defiance and make it work for you' Lucas advised, unzipping his pants and pulling her down to him.

'I suppose I could let it go this one time' Gail smiled and bit her lip teasingly before straddling him, removing his hard manhood carefully from his pants and placing it inside of her.

Lucas let out a loud moan as he entered her and pulled down the small straps of her silk nightdress. He cupped her tender breasts in his hands and sucked them teasingly while he allowed her to get used to his length.

Gail tangled her hands in his hair and began riding him slowly, savouring the feel of him inside of her. Apart from the strange behaviour from Luke in Matt's office, her day had been uneventful and it was nice to be able to enjoy her husband without any drama coming into play.

Lucas sensed her thoughts and pushed her to the floor, manoeuvring himself on top and thrusting himself deeper inside of her. 'It has been a while since we could just enjoy this without any digs at each other, or any outside interference' he acknowledged, letting out a loud moan when a surge of pleasure flowed through him.

Gail laughed at the comment and nodded. 'Could we actually finally be living in a normal marriage?' she joked, then pulled his lips to hers for a passionate kiss when he shot her a look of disapproval.

'Ain't nothin' normal about us Love' he whispered in her ear when he broke free of their embrace, then pulled out of her and turned her over roughly, dragging her onto all fours then began pounding in and out of her.

Gail called out his name in surprise at the quick change in tactic and gripped the rug in an attempt to steady herself. He had not taken her this hard in a while, due to her recently giving birth and she was enjoying every moment of it. As she felt their climax building, the telephone on the coffee table beside the grandfather chair began to ring. 'Don't you dare!' she warned, struggling to catch her breath as he continued to take her hard.

'Do you know who I am? You seriously think my attention is anywhere but on you right now?' Lucas panted, amused at the insinuation that he would ever stop at this moment. He felt her desire and how much she wanted him, it made him crave her even more and he nipped at her back playfully, then spanked her hard.

Gail let out a loud gasp as his palm connected with her behind and pushed herself further back into him, enabling him to take her deeper. When his movements quickened and he exploded within her, she screamed out his name in ecstasy and allowed him to pull her up.

Lucas pulled her back against his chest and squeezed her breasts hard, before kissing her neck passionately and wrapping his arms around her stomach. He gently pulled out of her, then pushed her down on the floor and spun her around, ready for round two. Suddenly he heard her mobile telephone begin to ring and let out an exasperated breath, knowing this could not be good.

Gail shook her head in irritation and stared up at him, waiting for his instruction. When he backed up slightly she rolled her eyes at the interruption and crawled towards her mobile telephone, which she had left on top of the fireplace. When she answered the telephone, she let out a small exasperated laugh and handed it to her husband. 'It's for you Soulmate' she said sweetly, then pushed him down on the floor and straddled him mischievously.

Lucas laughed at her disregard for the interruption and held the telephone closer to his ear, while laying down obediently to await her next move. When she just hovered over him expectantly, indicating that she was waiting for him to get rid of their interruption, he opened his mouth to speak to the caller; however, Gail sat down carefully, taking him fully inside of her and he had to bite his lip hard to stifle his moan. He stared up at his wife in mock disapproval for a moment, then turned his attention towards the caller so he could get rid of them and focus on his fun. 'What?' he asked bluntly.

'Aww hell Lucas, I'm sorry to bother you at home' Ben started nervously, 'It's just-'

'Just what?' Lucas demanded, trying to hold in his urge to call out his wife's name as she began to ride him.

Gail watched Lucas amused, knowing he had not expected her to continue so eagerly through their interruption and she smiled down at him mischievously when he was unable to release his pent up desire, due to being stuck on the call.

'You've got him where?' Lucas asked frustrated, torn between his desire to continue the intimate exchange with his wife and his curiosity at Ben's accusation.

Gail sensed the conflict in her husband and stopped for a moment, to survey the situation. When she spotted the fury in his eyes she took the mobile telephone from him abruptly and hung up the call, sensing Lucas' rage beginning to rise, then started riding her husband hard in the way he always craved in an attempt to allow him a safe release.

'I think somethin' requires our attention Love' Lucas sighed, as he moved his hands to Gail's hips and instinctively thrust his hips higher to push his manhood deeper inside of her.

'Something always requires our attention Master Buck, but right now you're the only thing deserving of my attention' Gail smiled and clawed her nails down his toned chest, sensing it was better to allow his release now rather than send him out pent up into a situation that she was unaware of.

Lucas laughed at her ability to establish what was best for him and sat up to meet her, letting out a loud moan as a bolt of pleasure surged through him. He tangled his hands in her hair, then kissed her passionately and savoured the taste of her tongue in his mouth.

Gail moved her hands to his back and clawed her nails down, piercing the skin as she went. The intense pleasure he gave her was unbearable and she needed a release of her own pent up rage just as much as he did.

Lucas span her around until he was on top again, then began pounding her sweet spot hard. He smiled at her pained moans and increased the intensity, trying to melt away the dark feelings he was projecting towards Ben.

Gail sensed his mind wander for a moment and slapped his face hard. 'Am I boring you Sheriff?' she asked in disbelief, then smiled when he stared down at her devilishly.

Lucas pinned her hands above her head to take away her control and continued to take her harder than he had in a long time. When he sensed their climax building together, he summoned all of his energy to pick up his pace further and called out her name as he erupted inside of her then smiled satisfied when she screamed out for him. He remained inside of her for a few minutes, kissing her lips and neck tenderly as he held her to him, then gently pulled out of her and reached for his pants.

'And where do you think you're going?' Gail panted jokingly.

Lucas shook his head in exasperation and held out his hand, then gently pulled her to a standing position. 'We're goin' to deal with our eldest' he advised calmly, then stroked her behind softly when he saw the concerned look on her face and placed a reassuring kiss on her lips.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb sat at the back of the reception area of the Sheriff's Station, stroking the small black cat that had found it's way to him. After the crash, his Teacher had refused to be taken to the hospital and instead insisted on him being brought here with her for questioning. Caleb had warned Ben that his Father would not be pleased by this action; however, Ben had brought him in anyway and now he just sat here waiting for his Father to show up to pull rank.

Ben watched as Billy strapped up Selena's arm, which appeared to have been broken in the crash. He had wanted Selena to go to the hospital rather than straight here and from Lucas' tone when he called him, Ben suspected that he was in for a world of pain when his boss arrived. When the bell above the entrance rang, Ben let out a long sigh and forced a smile for the remainder of the Buck family, who appeared to have decided to accompany the Sheriff after his call. He spotted the angry look on Gail's face and chose to go to Selena's side, to ensure nothing bad went down on his watch.

'Your watch?' Lucas asked amused, suddenly appearing behind Ben and reading his mind. 'This is my Town Deputy and it's all under my watch'

Ben heard the malice in Lucas' tone and chose not to challenge the comment. The last thing he wanted was to get into a situation with Lucas when he had only been doing his job.

'Calm down Ben, I know this inconvenience ain't of your doin'' Lucas reassured him, then stared at Selena with cold eyes.

'That's right, it's your Son's doing' Selena said boldly, knowing Lucas wouldn't make a move in a room full of people.

'But I might' Gail stated bluntly as she read her thoughts effortlessly, unimpressed at being dragged out of her home with her children this late in the evening.

'He crashed my car Gail!' Selena snapped, unable to hold in her anger.

'He stole your car, drove it and crashed it?' Lucas asked sarcastically, already opening his minds eye prior to arriving here and getting the full story from his crows.

'Well no-' Selena started defensively.

'Oh, so he jumped in front of your car while you were driving, intent on you crashing?' Lucas asked, amused at how quickly her confidence subsided.

'No!' she snapped, feeling herself becoming upset. 'But he did cause the crash, him and his stupid cat'

'We don't own a cat Miss Coombs and I don't see how he could control an animals actions, unless you're claimin' he's Doctor Doolittle that is?' Lucas smirked and winked at Floyd who was standing a short distance away laughing at how far fetched her account of the incident was.

Gail looked at Ben, who was shaking his head disapprovingly at the questioning, then glanced over her shoulder at Caleb and stared suspiciously at the small black cat in his arms. Selena had allowed her to influence her on enough occasions to give her unlimited access to her thoughts and Gail did not sense a lie coming from her now.

Caleb smiled at his Father's questioning of Miss Coombs, then spotted Gail's suspicious look and stared down at his hands nervously. He had not expected her to show up with his Father and he never could predict how she was going to react when he was at the centre of something bad.

'Your account of the incident doesn't appear to be very plausible Miss Coombs, maybe you hit your head in the collision with the tree' Gail stated calmly, unsure of what was really going on here and not impressed that both Billy and Ben were allowing Selena to be treated in such a demeaning way.

Selena relaxed slightly at the sound of Gail's soothing voice, she did not appear to be mocking her like Lucas was and her calmness was making her think more clearly. 'I broke my arm that's all, my head is just fine Mrs Buck' she advised honestly and tried to think of a way to make her story seem credible.

Lucas had not liked his wife's interjection into his questioning; however, he sensed her suspicion and knew he needed to handle the situation carefully, in order for Caleb to get out of this unscathed. 'If there was a cat in the car with you, my boy had nothin' to do with it and if it attacked you, where are the scars?' he asked reasonably, forcing a neutral tone.

Caleb smiled at the question, knowing his new friend had not left any scars. The cats part in this was strange, but it could not have worked out any better if he had planned it.

Gail surveyed Selena's flawless skin and let out an exasperated sigh, sensing her husband knew something that she did not. She was about to question Selena herself when she felt eyes on her from across the street and strolled casually over to the entrance, peering out and spotting the dark figure that was stalking her. She wanted to get to the bottom of what had happened; however, she could not take her attention of off the mysterious figure that was so interested in her.

The black cat on Caleb's lap began to stir and jumped down to the floor. Before Caleb had a chance to reach for it the cat bolted towards Gail at the entrance and primed it's claws, ready to attack.

Gail sensed the quick movement and opened the door instinctively, allowing Gideon to enter. Her faithful companion had appeared out of nowhere like he usually did when he sensed some awry in her vicinity and Gail watched as the large husky dog skulked towards the cat, causing it to run back to the safety of her Step Son.

'We don't allow animal's in here' Floyd advised when he spotted the dog, then took a nervous step back when Lucas shot him a warning glance.

'Somethin' that I need to be aware of Love?' Lucas asked suspiciously when he was made aware of Gideon's presence. His attention had been too focused on Selena that he had not spotted the cat move.

'I need a reason to have my dog with me Soulmate?' Gail asked sweetly, then shot Caleb a disapproving glance when she saw him pick up the cat and went to Selena's side, moving between her and Billy. 'Come on, I'm going to take a run to pick up Matt from the hospital so I'll give you a ride home, assuming my husband is done with his interrogation that is?' she asked and glanced at Lucas daring him to challenge her.

'You makin' an official claim against anyone in this room Miss Coombs?' Lucas asked casually, not taking his eyes off of his wife and wondering why she was trying to shield his ex.

'She hasn't so far has she?' Gail asked flatly, answering for Selena when she sensed her unease, then disregarded Billy's confused look as she led Selena out of the Sheriff's Station and left Lucas to watch over their children.

* * *

Selena sat in silence for the entirety of the journey and watched Gideon suspiciously in the back seat of the car, never knowing whether to trust him or not. When Gail pulled up outside of her bungalow Selena stared at her confused, then turned her full attention towards her. 'I thought you were getting Matt?' she asked curiously.

'So does my husband' Gail smiled mischievously and glanced at the deserted bungalow in front of her. 'Will you be alright from here?' she asked, knowing Selena would be alone with Billy remaining at the Sheriff's Station and not sure whether it was the responsible thing to do to leave her.

'Don't worry about me, I've been alone my whole life' Selena said, trying to appear confident.

Gail sensed her underlying fear and let out a small laugh. 'Oh I'm not worried, I just don't want you shacking up with some random man to punish Billy for being an ass. I can't be bothered dealing with that fallout' she joked and smiled when Selena laughed.

'Would you judge me if I did?' Selena asked, attempting to establish whether she had the supportive Gail or the one that wanted to hurt her.

'No judgement from me, we established a while ago that I'm actually on your side against my better judgement. I'm just happy that you didn't try to get Caleb charged with your far fetched account of things. I haven't got the patience to deal with that drama either' she advised, relieved that Selena had not persisted with her accusation.

'He did do this Gail, I don't know how but he did' Selena sighed, hating that she had no actual proof of his involvement.

'Well if he pulls that stunt again, he'll have to answer to me and not his Father. Believe me when I tell you that he doesn't want that' Gail placed a reassuring hand on her knee, then signalled for her to head inside.

Selena nodded her understanding and opened the passenger side door. 'Alright, thanks for having my back' she smiled tiredly.

'Someone has to' Gail advised and smiled when Selena laughed, then left the woman alone to get some rest.

Gail pulled out of the drive quickly and headed away from the rural area, having no intention of return home just yet. She was curious about Caleb's recent behaviour and she sensed that her husband had known exactly what had transpired with Selena, meaning he was keeping secrets from her. It was ironic that the thing she had tried most to steer clear of was the one thing she suspected would be the most transparent with her now, she knew that she was playing with fire; however, she headed towards Goat Town anyway, knowing where she needed to go to ensure her husband could not sense her intentions.

Gail pulled up outside of her Wicca Store and stared at it admiringly. It was strange to think that this place was once owned by Lucas' Mother, this safe haven felt as though it had been in her life forever and she did not believe Lucas knew the extent of what he was doing when he gifted it to her as a wedding gift. She smiled to herself at the familiarity she felt just being close to this place and opened her car door, then signalled for Gideon follow her out. She spotted a figure hiding behind the upstairs curtains and waved at it instinctively, sensing her Father wanted her to come to him.

'You didn't come here for him' the dark figure advised from inside the side alleyway between Abe's Antique Store and her Wicca Store.

'I didn't come here for theatrics either' she advised unimpressed and signalled Gideon to stop following her, before moving closer to the alleyway to survey her stalker. 'You got my attention earlier' she said and stopped underneath a streetlight, keeping out in the open so not to play into the dark figures strength within the shadows.

The dark figure laughed and moved closer to her, revealing his handsome face. 'You still don't trust me?' he asked amused.

'I'll never trust you after what you tried to do to me and my Daughter' Gail laughed in disbelief of the question, then took a step closer to the alleyway to show that she was not afraid.

'But you want the truth? Always the truth Miss Emory' the handsome figure laughed.

'Mrs Buck...' she corrected calmly, '...and yes, I'd like to know the truth about what's going on with my Son'

'Which one?' the handsome figure asked, watching her closely.

'I have no problem with Luke-' she started.

'Don't you? No calculating looks when he thinks he's alone with Izzy and they're next to sharp things? No quiet moments when they're hidden and find a dangerous object which fits around a small throat?' he asked knowingly.

'Stop it!' she snapped, unable to control her anger. 'My youngest Son is just fine, this is about Caleb'

'If you say so Gail' the figure smirked, amused at how much she wanted to believe those words.

Gail felt herself become agitated and cursed herself for being naive enough to even consider trusted the thing before her would give her the answers she required.

'Oh now there's no need for those kind of thoughts, in a way I'm the only one who has nothing to lose by being honest with you' the figure advised and closed the gap between them, allowing his whole form to be revealed.

Gail surveyed the handsome man before her, taking note of his long caramel blond hair which was tied back in a loose bun. He wore a dark green shirt with black jeans and cowboy boots, not quit as well kept as her husband; however, close to his standard. Her eyes trailed down his body, noticing the hint of muscles beneath the shirt and she let out a nervous laugh when the man smiled proudly, spotting her admiration of his appearance.

'You know, there were moments in the past when I could've easily arranged for your time here to be over' he sighed casually.

'And now?' Gail asked curiously, sensing his intrigue in her.

The man glanced down her petite body, taking extra time to admire her curves and let out a small laugh. 'I guess you ain't so bad' he smiled mischieviously, letting his southern tone slip through and watching her reaction to him carefully.

Gail allowed her body to relax in the strangers presence, but she ensured her guard was still up. She had come here knowing that this was one of the few places she was guaranteed some privacy to speak to her stalker; however, she was ready to reach out to her husband should the need arise.

'There's no need to keep Master Buck on standby, you're capable enough of taking care of yourself without that brute aren't you Gail?' he goaded sarcastically.

'I'll have you know that my husband is no brute and is more sophisticated than you think, although he could snap someone's neck with the click of his finger' Gail shrugged, not allowing herself to rise to the bait.

'And you can have someone dragged down to the bottom of the Trinity River without even utterin' a word-' the handsome man started, knowing how easy it was for her to summon her past self Rosemary.

'Would you call me a brute?' Gail interrupted sweetly, feigning innocence and playing to his apparent fascination with her.

'I'd call you impressive' the man stated honestly and continued to admire her openly.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head, then moved closer to the cover of the alleyway when she heard the quiet caw of a crow not far from her position. She shot Gideon an reassuring look when he growled and tried to follow her, the last thing she needed was her trusted companion to overreact and try to be a hero or for her husbands birds to give away her position here. 'Caleb' she said seriously, bringing the conversation back to where it had started.

'Caleb' the handsome man smiled, choosing to respect her wishes of bringing their conversation back to a safe place rather than seeing how far he could push her acceptance of him.

'He's behaving out of character' Gail advised concerned.

'He's his Father's Son, missing 10 years of his much needed guidance that is' he smirked, unable to withstand a small dig against Lucas Buck.

Gail inhaled deeply and forced herself to remain calm. 'As you pointed out earlier, Luke may be showing concerning signs and I can assure you that he has no lack of Fatherly guidance' she said through gritted teeth, hating even acknowledging the things she had noticed of her Son but not accepting Caleb's lack of respect for rules to be blamed on her husbands previous faults.

'Luke has no conflict inside him to steer him on an irregular path, he's got both his Fathers and Mothers darkness to ensure of that. Caleb on the other hand has been pulled in so many directions, it's any wonder the boy can even function without explodin'' the handsome man responded, disregarding her desire to keep her husband in the clear.

'So how do I help him?' Gail asked, not wanting to play the blame game and desperately wanting answers.

'You don't' the handsome man said seriously, then suddenly disappeared leaving her alone in the dark alleyway.

Gail surveyed the area frantically trying to find her new associate, then let out a long sigh when she spotted three large crows perched on the pavement across the street watching her. 'Can't I be alone for more than two seconds?' she snapped aloud in frustration, then stormed back to her car and signalled for Gideon to get in.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas sat on his side porch with a freshly brewed coffee, watching the small black cat wander his garden curiously. He had allowed Caleb to bring the cat home with him, sensing the boy had developed a strange attachment to the animal; however, as he watched it walk the large stretch of grounds aimlessly, he wondered why this mysterious creature had made it's presence known now.

'Are you mad at me?' Caleb asked as he came onto the porch and spotted his Father deep in thought.

'I could've done without your little stunt when your Step Mom hasn't fully recovered from her stay at the hospital' Lucas said flatly, not taking his eyes off of the cat.

'Gail would be just as mad if she weren't recoverin'. Besides, you don't care much about lettin' her recover when you two are alone at night' Caleb smirked and sat down on the chair beside his Father.

'And what do you know about what we get up to behind closed doors?' Lucas asked curiously.

'I'm guessin' the marks on her neck and arms ain't gained from her restin'' Caleb shrugged casually.

Lucas sat upright in his chair and turned his full attention towards his Son. 'You think I hurt her?' he asked seriously.

'Nah' Caleb advised and smiled at his Father playfully, 'She's too happy when she leaves the room to be hurt'

Lucas could not contain his laughter and patted Caleb on the shoulder proudly. 'It's good you know the difference between playin' and takin' pain too far, I was beginnin' to wonder with your behaviour of late'

'I didn't do nothin'...it ain't my fault Miss Coombs overreacted to a cat in her car' Caleb shrugged nonchalantly.

'And what about the watchin' her at every opportunity you get?' Lucas asked knowingly.

Caleb remained silent, unsure of how to explain his recent interest in his Teacher. It had all started when she humiliated him in class over his new Sister and her actions seemed to have awoken something inside of him that he was used to keeping locked away. That something was stirring inside of him now and it was focused solely on Miss Coombs.

'There's a time and a place to release your pent up desires Son. It appears I ain't been around enough for you lately to prevent certain build ups of energy, maybe that needs to change' Lucas advised calmly, sensing the instability in his Son.

'Maybe it's your influence which has caused the instability in the first place' Gail interjected irritated, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head disapprovingly at her husband.

Caleb knew better than to chime in when Gail got involved in a conversation, he knew his Step Mom only wanted the best for him; however, her inability to fully control her own urges meant that she was unpredictable and he did not want to give her a reason to be really mad at him.

Gail sensed Caleb's thoughts and felt a sharp pain in her chest, there was a thin line between respect and fear with children and she did not want to be the type of parent that was truly feared.

'We're all fine, no one is mad and no one is scared' Lucas stated soothingly, to put them both at ease and turned his attention towards the cat when he sensed Rocky, the dog he had gifted her a few years earlier, closing in on it's position with their attention elsewhere. 'That's gonna be a problem' he advised casually and glanced amused at Gail over his shoulder.

Gail stared at Lucas confused for a moment, then spotted Rocky edging towards the cat discreetly and rushed to the railing. 'Rocky no!' she yelled sternly, just before Rocky reached his intended target and shot him an apologetic look as the cat scratched his nose viciously when his attention was focused on her. 'That thing has got to go' she said angrily, unimpressed by the strange animal.

'Lucas has his birds and you have both Rocky and Gideon, why can't I have a cat?' Caleb said moodily, standing up and placing his hands dramatically on his hips.

'The boy's got a point' Lucas shrugged, spotting his trusted birds hidden within the tree's of their garden watching then closely.

Gail was about to protest, then sensed her stalker lurking behind a far tree watching the exchange and shook her head in exasperation. 'I'm outnumbered at every turn' she sighed and rolled her eyes when Caleb gave her a big hug, knowing he had won and then ran towards his cat excitedly.

'You wanna tell me what counsel you found at the Wicca Store yesterday, as apposed to workin' this out together Love?' Lucas asked suspiciously, knowing she had left him with the children for a reason and wanted her to clarify his suspicions.

'You weren't concerned about said counsel last night when I was showing my appreciation of you Master Buck...next time keep your damn spies away from me and maybe I will be more transparent with you' Gail forced a sweet tone to hide her irritation at being watched, then left him alone to deal with Caleb.

* * *

Caleb stroked the small black cat softly, as he held it gently on his lap and watched the tree's go by through the car window. The cat purred affectionately, not attempting to struggle free from his grasp and Caleb felt a strange connection with the animal that had found it's way into his life the previous day.

Lucas drove his navy blue Crown Victoria down the deserted road which led to Johnson's Bridge, Ben sat in the front passenger seat quietly and to Lucas' surprise he had chosen not to question his decision to keep Caleb off School so he could join them on their patrol. Gail was behaving strangely, hiding what she was doing and that added with Caleb's recent questionable behaviour was not good. He had chosen to deal with one problem at a time and Caleb was the easier one to tackle right now.

'So you've been bad huh?' Ben asked Caleb, glancing over his shoulder and watching him stroke the obedient cat on his lap..

'If somethin' bad happens to a bad person, can the instigator really be seen as bad?' Caleb asked casually, feigning innocence.

Lucas shot Caleb a look of warning through the rear view mirror and nodded when the boy nervously returned his attention to the tree's outside. 'No ones been bad, the accident with Miss Coombs was an unfortunate incident and no one is to blame. The boy just needs to spend the day with his Father, is that alright with you Deputy?' he asked flatly.

'Ah hell of course it is' Ben answered nervously, not meaning to offend Lucas.

'Where we goin'?' Caleb asked quietly, trying to change the subject and not wanting his Father to be mad at Ben.

'Where we always go when we wanna clear our minds...fishin'' Lucas smiled and pulled up just off the road by the bridge.

Caleb smiled excitedly and waited eagerly for Ben to open the back passenger door from the outside. He had thought that this time shackled with his Father was supposed to be a punishment and this development was a pleasant surprise.

'I ain't that bad am I?' Lucas asked sarcastically, sensing his thoughts.

Caleb laughed and shook his head, then ran onto the bridge whilst still holding the cat carefully.

Lucas had hoped for the cat to remain in the car; however, his Son had ran off with it before he had a chance to protest. At least he was able to get an idea of how much Caleb was attached to it, his initial plan was to drop it off in the middle of nowhere when Caleb was distracted but it was evident that would not be an option now.

Ben started to follow Caleb, then he felt Lucas' strong hand on his arm. He turned towards his Boss confused, then realised that he was not invited to this activity.

'You gonna be alright holdin' down the fort for a few hours for me?' Lucas asked seriously, never knowing whether he was getting the competent Ben or the one who wanted to hide away from anything that could pose difficult.

'I'll be fine' Ben advised confidently as he took Lucas' car keys, 'I'll swing back for you and the little guy in about two hours or so'

'I knew you wouldn't disappoint' Lucas smiled, then patted Ben on the shoulder and started walking towards Caleb. Lucas had decided that it was about time he spent some quality time with his eldest Son, he had been so caught up with the safety of his Daughter and Gail recently that he had neglected the signs that Caleb may need some guidance.

As he watched the boy ahead of him now, he felt proud. Yes he may not be handling his urges as appropriately as Lucas would; however, he knew what he wanted and he was not afraid to seek it out. The boy's obsession with Selena was no different than Lucas' urges to release his twin on certain people, Caleb just needed to be more discreet with his tactics and to figure out what his end game was. That was something Lucas was happy to help him discover and there was no better way to ponder over the matter than taking advantage of his Son's favourite pastime.

* * *

Gail strolled through her extravagant garden with her Daughter securely in her arms. She was worried about Caleb and although she knew that a boy needed his Father's guidance, she could not help but wonder whether she had been manipulated by the powers from this property into allowing Lucas to take control of the situation. Part of her wanted Caleb to remain the innocent child she had first met the day after his tenth birthday; however, the other part of her knew that his innocence had gone and he was left with the same darkness that she had buried deep within herself for so many years.

'You doubt what I told you?' the handsome figure asked from behind a tree she had just passed.

'I'd be stupid if I didn't' Gail advised, holding her Daughter closer to her chest and ready to unleash her darkness should the need arise.

'I'm not going to hurt little Gail Mrs Buck, she's off limits remember?' the handsome stranger asked sarcastically and smiled when she turned towards him fully.

'What's your name?' Gail asked, sensing Gideon had moved from his spot beside Rocky on the porch and was making his way towards her protectively.

'You can call of your hell hound, I have no need to hurt you' he advised, ignoring her question.

Gail was used to the evasion tactics from her husband and let out a long sigh. 'You know, I really have no need to acknowledge you. Our deal is done and I'm not interfering with my husbands deals anymore' she stated flatly.

'Your decision to withhold your judgement has worked wonders, that ol' boy was back up to quota within days of you pushin' him towards that nice red head friend of yours' the stranger teased and smirked at her instant discomfort.

'We're done here' Gail advised bluntly and walked back to the porch, placing her little girl in her secure cot beside Luke who was playing pleasantly with Rocky.

'I always thought a dog was a strange gift from your husband, although the mutt did the trick in convincin' you to open your legs for his Master' the handsome stranger whispered, his voice trailing across the garden and piercing through Gail's mind.

'Jealous?' Gail asked sarcastically, unable to ignore his presence and signalling for Gideon to guard her children as she walked back towards her stalker.

'You think I want that from you?' he asked curiously, hiding his pleasure at her returning to him.

'I know you like to watch' Gail mocked teasingly and crossed her arms over her chest to protect herself from the sudden wind which had gathered in the garden. 'What is it that you really want from me?' she asked seriously.

'Joshua...What is it that you really want from me Joshua' he corrected her and held her gaze when she tried to search his eyes for some indication of his intentions.

'Alright Joshua, my husband isn't anywhere close and my children are out of the picture for now so you have my full attention. You either want to hurt me, which seems likely considering how much Malcolm despises me and what I've done for his family, or you want to use me. Which one is it?' she asked, growing tired of this game and wanting answers.

Joshua laughed and shook his head. 'Maybe I just like to talk to you, is that so bad?'

Gail narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously and watched him carefully. His demeanour was not threatening at this moment in time; however, she had witnessed a different side of him when she was giving birth and there was something about him that caused her darkness to stir within her whenever he was close. She was not naive and she did not trust that he just enjoyed talking to her, he came from this property which meant that there was something cruel and unusual behind his constant appearances.

'No need to over analyse my presence Gail, I'm only here to tell you that the centre of your world is performin' his duties and seein' to your Caleb problem. What remains to be seen is whether he chooses to allow his Son to embrace his darkness and grow like he should, or whether he chooses you and allows his more fragile traits to take hold' Joshua advised, knowing Gail had been thinking about Caleb all morning.

'Caleb isn't a problem and whatever he decides will be down to his free will, not Lucas'' Gail replied defensively, resenting the man's insinuation that she or Lucas would factor into Caleb's growth.

'Are you really tellin' me that you don't think Lucas Buck's will is gonna come into play? I know you're smarter than that Gail' he said in mock disappointment.

'The illusion of free will, I know. I've heard it all before' Gail responded, rolling her eyes at the saying her husband loved.

Joshua narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, then let out a small laugh. 'Maybe I was wrong about you, I thought the whole point of you was that you weren't a sheep like the rest of the townspeople under your husbands influence. It seems you aren't as removed from Selena as you'd like to believe' he stated hurtfully, then disappeared and left Gail alone.

Gail recoiled at the comment, as though she had been slapped hard and shook her head in confusion. She made her own choices and she believed that Caleb would too, regardless of what her husband wanted. Still, she could not help but think about her husbands favourite saying and began to wonder about Judith and how she also believed that she was in control of her own destiny.

Gail did not consider herself as naive as the women who had come before her; however, she began to ponder over the state of her life and how easily she had been bowing to her husbands wishes recently. She suspected that Joshua was not wrong about Lucas wanting Caleb to be a certain way but she had to believe that he would not lead Caleb down a dark path, which would ultimately be dangerous for all involved.

The sound of the large metal gate opening at the side of the property caught Gail's attention and she spotted Rose looking at her nervously, struggling to hold her large bicycle upright. Gail let out a long sigh and sensed nothing good was going to come from this unexpected visit, then forced a warm smile and approached the child casually signalling for her to come closer.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Lucas pulled up opposite the large bungalow situated just off Tarbuck Avenue and turned off the engine, watching the property closely. He could feel Caleb's eyes on him and was amused at his Sons shyness when he presented an opportunity for him. The boy was clearly eager to test his powers properly against someone who had targeted him, Lucas could never scold him for such a thing and he had done far worse to less deserving people.

When Caleb continued to stare at him, Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head in exasperation. 'What are you waitin' for? An invitation?' he asked casually, then turned towards his Son and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

'We shouldn't be here' Caleb whispered quietly, paranoid that his Step Mom might catch him.

'You think I'd openly bring you here if I thought we were gonna get caught?' Lucas asked in disbelief. 'This ain't my first rodeo Son. Besides, your Step Mom is lookin' after little Gail and Luke, she ain't got any time to be trollin' down these parts'

Caleb considered his Fathers words for a moment, then turned fully towards him still holding his cat. 'You want me here?' he asked confused.

'You wanna be here Son, it ain't got nothin' to do with what I want. You think I don't know that you've been really stalkin' her?' Lucas asked amused and smiled when Caleb looked nervously at his hands.

'I didn't mean nothin'-' Caleb started to explain, a sudden feeling of guilt coming over him.

'Of course you did and there ain't nothin' wrong with that' Lucas interrupted, attempting to reassure him. 'What your feelin' is natural, at least for us. We're not like other people Son, you know this so why hide from it?'

'Gail will be mad' Caleb said quietly, disappointed in himself for not being able to be what she wanted him to be.

'Your Step Mom will accept you for who you really are, just like she did me. She ain't much different from us and when she gets the urge to let loose, you think she cares about gettin' caught?' Lucas asked, nudging Caleb's arm playfully.

Caleb saw the amused look on his Fathers face and smiled, Gail did have a tendency to act before she thought things through and he supposed she could not be mad at him for having similar traits to hers.

'Atta boy, you're startin' to understand. Now, there's somethin' in you that's yearnin' to be acknowledged and it's focussin' on the beautiful specimen in that property. I can't satiate that desire for you Son, it's time that you became a man and take control of your own urges' Lucas advised knowingly and smiled when the front passenger side door opened on it's own, as though agreeing with him.

Caleb glanced over his shoulder at the open door and watched as the cat jumped off his knee, then ran towards the bungalow. 'Will you be here?' he asked his Father nervously.

'Always Son' Lucas reassured him and nodded his approval when Caleb decided to exit the car. He had considered talking to the boy in an attempt to get to the bottom of what he really wanted; however, he could not shield Caleb from himself and the boy needed to take action. It was about time that Caleb chose who he wanted to be and took charge, regardless of the consequences. He would deal with his wife's take on things when the time came.

Caleb felt his Fathers eyes on him and walked towards the bungalow, trying to stand tall. He understood what his Father was saying, he could not hide from his true self forever and he was old enough now to decide how he wanted to be. The darkness within him began to stir the closer he got to the property, until he felt it just below his surface and let out an excited shiver. He did not look back at his Father, that would show hesitation and weakness, he just trusted that his Father would protect him if required and he smiled when the front door to the bungalow opened on it's own.

Lucas had released his twin to make his Son's entry into the property effortless. The last this Caleb needed was obstacles that could potentially sway him from his desires; therefore, a little helping hand was not against the rules, especially when he sensed the boys nervousness from all the way over here.

Caleb took in a deep breath and entered the small hall, he was used to coming in through the door closest to the Kitchen when he had been here previously and this part of Miss Coombs' home was unknown to him. When he saw the small black cat move down the hall and heard a faint humming coming from behind a partly open door he froze, it took him a moment to regain his composure and he followed the cat until it discreetly entered the room.

Caleb felt his heartbeat racing and his mind went blank, he had no idea what he wanted to do now and he closed his eyes in an attempt to gain some clarity. Before he had a moment to think, his feet moved instinctively and he opened the door quietly. He stared blankly at his Teacher as she sat on the bottom of her bed in front of a long mirror wearing only a small towel, nursing her broken arm which hung firmly in a sling. He stood still for a few minutes watching her while she was unaware of his presence, she was beautiful and he felt his skin becoming warm as he noticed a few drops of water drip from her wet hair and trail down her bare shoulder.

Selena continued to try and adjust her arm; however, it was no use as Billy had secured it firmly. She knew that she should not be attempting to mess with what he had done, but it was driving her crazy and she could not help herself. When she finally resigned herself to leaving her dressings alone, she spotted the familiar small black cat pounce onto her bed and jumped up when she saw Caleb standing behind her in the mirror. 'Get out!' she screamed, attempting to insert authority and trying to hide her fear.

Caleb hung his head down slightly and stared deep into her eyes, grinning mischievously and not moving from his position in front of the door.

'What, are you deaf? I said get out of here Caleb!' she snapped, holding the towel tight around her body and letting off an involuntary shiver.

Caleb's smile grew wider as he felt his darkness take hold fully, there were a lot of suggestions going through his mind as to how he could proceed; however, he allowed his mind to relax and his darkness to take control, guiding his next move.

Lucas sat back in his car and closed his eyes, opening up his mind to see how his boy was doing. When he came across the bedroom that Caleb was currently occupying and heard Selena's loud gut wrenching scream, he smiled proudly and allowed his boy the freedom to have some fun, knowing that this was just a taste of what was yet to come.

* * *

Gail paced around the large living room of her home agitated. She glanced around the room that she did not frequent often admiring the decor and the antiques that were dotted around the place, then wondered why they chose the main Study to settle into rather than this large homely area. Her senses alerted her to her husbands car finally pulling into the driveway and she let out a long sigh, not sure whether she actually wanted to return to her family this evening.

Rose had been concerned about Caleb when he had avoided her for a few days, so concerned that she had come to Gail which was out of character due to how loyal she was to Caleb. Gail's concern for her Step Son intensified after Rose's visit and the conversation that had taken place with Joshua, so much so that she nearly released her own darkness to find out what Caleb and Lucas were up to.

Luckily she had reigned in her urge to interfere and forced her focus to her youngest children, knowing her darkness was more unpredictable than she would have liked and not willing to risk making matters worse. She had decided that it was not her place to get involved, unless something dire had happened and chose to explore the inside of the property knowing the likes of Joshua would not dare enter and disturb her.

The sound of laughter trailed through the halls and grated on her. Caleb and Lucas were happy, that much was obvious and she pushed down her desire to enquire about what they had done, ignoring the alarm bells that had been ringing inside of her head for the past two hours.

Lucas entered the Study with his arm around Caleb laughing, then stopped in his tracks when he saw his Daughter Gail and his Son Luke left unattended in the middle of the room with only Gideon monitoring them.

'Mom?' Caleb called concerned, when he spotted the children on their own and glanced at Lucas worried.

Lucas patted him on the shoulder reassuringly and went to his children in the middle of the room, placing a soft kiss on each of their foreheads. 'Where's your Momma?' Lucas asked Luke, after the boy threw his arms around him and hugged him tight.

'Momma!' Luke exclaimed and pointed at the bookcases behind him.

Lucas stared at the bookcases confused, then let out a long sigh and stood up. 'Watch these will you?' he asked Caleb and left the room without waiting for a reply.

It was uncharacteristic of Gail to leave the children unattended and her lack of presence was concerning. Lucas exited the Study and passed through the Kitchen, then entered the long hallway which led the way deeper into his property and stopped at the door that opened into the room directly behind his Study. The door opened for him as though he had been expected and he spotted Gail looking radiant, staring peacefully into the garden out of the large living room window. He waited for a moment for her to acknowledge him, when she did not he entered the room fully and closed the door.

'Snoopin' again lookin' for family secrets Darlin'?' he asked sarcastically.

'Exploring to find a place to get some peace' Gail replied pleasantly, not allowing herself to rise to the bait.

Lucas watched her carefully, he sensed a strange calmness within her; however, she was hiding something which he could not quite decipher.

'Trouble with that all seeing eye of yours Soulmate?' she sighed, feeling him trying to pry into her thoughts.

'Just tryin' to find out what's wrong with you is all Love' Lucas admitted truthfully, not liking this strange calmness she was outwardly portraying.

'What's right with me?' Gail laughed, then turned towards him when she sensed his concern and forced a sweet smile.

'This false demeanour of yours ain't foolin' me Gail' Lucas advised and closed the distance between them.

'And your sudden willingness to keep Caleb with you as punishment for his recent actions aren't fooling me either Lucas' she retorted, staring deep into his eyes and crossing her arms over her chest sternly.

Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'I never said it was a punishment-' he started.

'Oh but I called for one didn't I? You remember the conversation about not wanting it to seem acceptable to be dragged into a Police Station in the late evening right?' she interrupted bluntly.

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to control his temper, he did not like being interrupted and she was clearly looking for a reaction from him. 'You insinuated punishment, I didn't confirm it' he advised calmly, placing his hands on her arms and pulling them gently to her sides to break up her tense stance.

'Well done Pappa Bear, you got me on a technicality' Gail said sarcastically, then pulled her arms free of his grasp and began pacing the room agitated.

'I'm not tryin' to get you on anythin' Gail, but my Son needs to be handled in a certain way' Lucas explained, not understanding her current mood.

'That's right, your Son' Gail laughed, finally getting to the crux of the matter. 'I suppose naive little me wouldn't understand what's best for your Son would I?'

Lucas knew instantly that he had walked into a trap and shook his head at his own stupidity. 'You know that's not what I meant' he advised, feeling himself getting frustrated.

'Oh but it's the common opinion around here isn't it? He's not ours he's yours, so what does my opinion matter? Why do you even care what I think when you're gonna do whatever you want anyway?'

'Gail-' Lucas interjected, trying to stop her from winding herself up.

'No seriously, he's just my Cousin so why do I even bother? You're his Father, the almighty Lucas Buck and whatever you want him to be is gospel right? Let's just ignore the fact that he's only 13, it's acceptable for him to terrorise a woman because he's your Son and I don't know what I was thinking being against that' Gail raised her voice, unable to control her temper any longer.

'Gail!' Lucas snapped, sensing she was losing control of her emotions and still unsure how she got herself in this state without even knowing what Caleb had done today.

'What has he done?' Gail asked angrily, reading his thoughts clearly due to his temporary distraction with her.

Lucas let out an exasperated breath and laughed. 'He ain't done anythin'' he lied and turned towards the window Gail had initially been looking out of.

'Oh so we're not being honest with each other now?' Gail asked sarcastically.

'You mean like you're honest about who you've been talkin' to when I'm not around?' Lucas asked knowingly.

Gail laughed and shook her head in disbelief. 'You see, this is the difference between you and I Soulmate. I'd never lie to your face if you asked me a direct question'

'Who have you been talkin' to?' Lucas asked directly.

'Joshua, the new apparition in my life courtesy of your lively property. What did you and Caleb get up to today?' Gail asked bluntly.

Lucas stared at her curiously for a moment, not recalling the name Joshua floating previously, then sensed how close she was to snapping and turned his attention to her question. 'The boy needed a release and chose to take it, there's nothin' to worry about' he advised, attempting to reassure her.

'Nothing to worry about?' Gail asked sarcastically, in disbelief of the statement. 'What kind of a release?'

Lucas knew she would not let this go without an explanation; therefore, he perched on the arm of the large old couch in the centre of the room, then grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. 'Miss Coombs may have had a fall in her home from a significant height, cuttin' up her face and body a little' he advised casually and stroked her arm softly, attempting to gloss over what had happened.

Gail inhaled deeply at the statement and let out a small laugh. 'A fall from a significant height in her bungalow, which by definition has no stairs or big heights for her to fall from? What type of cuts?' she asked, frustrated with his lack of concern with the situation.

'A cat may have gotten a bit excited and carefree with it's claws' he shrugged.

'The small black cat that's probably with our children right now?' Gail asked, attempting to keep her tone calm.

'Your precious Gideon's with them and that mutt's been known to do a lot more than just scratch Mrs Buck' Lucas smirked and pulled her down so she was sitting on his knee, then nuzzled his head into her neck and nipped it playfully.

Gail rolled her eyes at what he had told her and shook her head slowly in disbelief. 'There'll be questions Lucas, Selena will make sure of that and I said that she would be safe' she sighed, so angry that she felt like she was going to burst.

'There'll be no questions and no talkin', Caleb made sure of that' Lucas smiled devilishly and sucked her neck teasingly.

Gail narrowed her eyes in confusion, then moved her head to the side and gripped his chin gently to force him to look at her. 'How are you sure of that?' she asked intrigued.

'Well, the part of her tongue located on the floor beside her unconscious body when both me and the boy valiantly discovered the tragic incident indicates she won't be sayin' a thing' Lucas feigned a serious tone, then smiled proudly thinking about Caleb's actions.

Gail's mouth dropped open in shock and she was about to comment on the disturbing information she had just been provided with; however, Lucas seized the opportunity to force his tongue into her mouth and kissed her passionately. Gail closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in him, subconsciously happy for a reason not to think about what Caleb had done. She tangled her hands in his hair instinctively and laughed when he leaned back so they both fell onto the couch.

'You require anymore honesty Love?' Lucas asked, amused at her inability to process what he had told her.

'No, I think I'm good for today' Gail replied sarcastically, then manoeuvred herself on top of him and began unbuttoning his shirt. Her concern for Caleb had not gone away; however, she lacked the ability to even comprehend what he had done at this moment in time, so she chose to focus on what she could control and scraped her nails down her husbands chest teasingly.

'We will revisit this Joshua situation' Lucas advised seriously.

'Oh as well as this Caleb situation Sweetheart, but for now just shut up and help me erase the picture of that tongue from my mind' she ordered seriously and let out a low moan when his hands began trailing over her cool body.

Lucas sensed her need to be taken away from the reality of the situation and had no problem helping her achieve oblivion, if only for a little while. His own rage was stirring at the thought of someone communication freely with her without his authority; however, he allowed himself to get lost in her, at least for the time being and would focus on the stranger when he was sure his wife was not going to lose control over Caleb's actions.

-The End-


End file.
